PDubyah: Beer - #434 - Epic

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Beer - #434 - Epic - Lupulingus

Beer with the oddest name for a while - Epic Lupulingus.

Buying this today put me in a quandary as there seems to be a raft of new beers available 'on tap' that are tempting, but I made a choice and so here we are.

"Lupulin = resinous compound from hops. Lingus = reference to tongue"

For Epic Brewing Company (NZ) - Epic Lupulingus - brewed at Steam Brewing Company, this one in the style that is Imperial/Double IPA

I have 1 litre growler/bomber of a 9% ABV beer, with 101 IBU things, making this 7.1 standard drinks, in total this would be around 800 calories in the bottle, a lot of exercise to work that off.

[caption id="attachment_9196" align="alignright" width="300"]

Selfie, trying not to grimace with sore ribs.[/caption]

An intergalactic tangerine colour. The hop intensity is so great you continue to get the flavours developing in your mouth long after you have swallowed. It is full-on ripe summer stonefruit - like baked caramalized peaches, drizzled with apricot syrup – the hop resin character is fresh and piney but leaves an oily and gum numbing finish as your tongue is pounded by the chronic bitterness that feels like it will last forever.

This should go ok with the curry that has been waiting to be eaten and is wafting around the house.

I was feeling sorry for myself when I was out buying this, I managed for the first time in ages to fall over whilst out exercising, a possibly spectacular forward sideways roll onto my hand and arm between the concrete and my chest leaves me with a running glove with a hole in, and sore ribs. I hope this cheers me up.

It's not overly aromatically bitter, lightly grassy, and there is a lot of malt sweetness.

It's a lovely chestnut orange colour, and pours with a lovely head. Aroma blooms a little to something the same but fuller.

This is surprisingly not as bitter as 101 would suggest, and there is a rather full body of malt sweetness. This I would describe as a 'full' beer, a 'big' beer, but at the same time it isn't loud and distracting with it in the way that some hop heavy beers can be, those that end really 'dry' on the palate.

I'm enjoying the level of the bitterness, and there is some nice orange or tangerine notes, and the finish is nice and not dry, plenty of length in this and nice feeling in the mouth as a full drink.

It's not overly deep though, there is a lot up front and it tails of to a nice finish, starts a high level and finishes a nice level, so it's not 'thin' in the middle that you can sometimes get in a beer.

But as you drink a bit more and as it warms in the glass it sort of becomes calmer and more inviting and all the more lovely. It really is nice. Not bitter in the way that 101 IBU would suggest and drinkable in the way that 9% wouldn't.

"Wrap Your Tongue Around This"

Watch out for the giant, mutant vine monsters, ready to wrap their spiney tentacles around your throat. They will commandeer your palate like a jungle of triffids. This is hop warfare on your tongue. It is seductive, contagious and hard to resist. Lash out now.

"There is no sense in getting killed by a plant"

The pdubyah-o-meter rates this as 9 a of its things from the thing. It's a great beer, a really nice beer, I'd suggest that if you like IPA you'd probably like this, although you might be a bit short on the full hops, or the weird way that it's not bitter.

It is higher in the ABV than you would pick though and you could confuse with this a beer for a session, it isn't only try that at home on the couch where you don't have to drive anywhere or be ashamed to make a fool of yourself in front of the family.

The double dip review

Am I enjoying it? Yes, it cheered me up.

Would I have another? I might just

Would I share with a friend on a porch and set the world to rights? Yes it's a no brainer.

I was listening to Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa. I should listen to it more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FTlZCDBJbk

IMPERIAL/DOUBLE IPA

Imperial IPA, Double IPA or DIPA is a strong, often sweet, intensely hoppy version of the traditional India Pale Ale. Bitterness units range upward of 100 IBUs and alcohol begins at 7.5% but is more commonly in the 8.5-10% range. The flavour profile is intense all-round. Unlike barley wines, the balance is heavily towards the hops, with crystal and other malts providing support